Do something really nice for yourself, OK, this may not seem at first like it is something special just for you, but please trust me, it is and after a few days you will love it and wonder why you have not been doing it all of your life.

DO A 10 MINUTE TIDY

Before you go to bed, and in your clothing, not your jammies, do all of the following and take no more than 10 minutes.

1. Put stuff away.
2. Quickly run the vacuum, or do the carpet sweeper or turn on Rumba.
3. Give the kitchen counters a swipe and put stuff in the dishwasher.
4. Look around and spend your remaining minutes with a feather duster or arrange/re-arrange so that the look of your space appeals to you.

I promise when you wake up in the morning you will have a much happier day The more you do this the easier it becomes, the more you get done in your 10 minutes, and the more you find yourself looking forward to not only the little job itself, but the result every morning. Remember, 10 minutes only. Let me know how this goes for you.

As you know, I am into small actions having big results. For that reason, I am into the “Pay It Forward” movement. I will keep this up all winter, so be prepared. Yesterday I paid for the groceries of the woman in line behind me. We were in the limited purchase line, so she had about $12 dollars worth of mostly fresh veggies.

When she realized what I had done, she burst into tears right there in the grocery store. She told me that she was spending her last grocery money on veggies because all the county food bank was passing out was canned green beans and cereal/no milk. It turns out she lives on $1400 per month and has to pay rent out of that.

I am so glad I followed my guidance and just “did it!” One never knows when a thing like that is done. Be prepared for it to go really well and make you feel good all day, or to be a big disaster and you feel crappy. It does not matter. Remember, we do nice things for people not because THEY are nice, but because WE are nice.

Yes, always try to do the right thing. You may ask, what the right thing is that I am talking about and yes, of course I will tell you-you already know the answer. My right thing is not the same as yours. We all face different situations and we all have different choices to make in our days.

I could go on and on with this, but I believe you know what I mean-the muffin or the piece of wheat toast, the candy bar or the apple, mask or no mask, the kind word or the dis, a pay it forward kindness, or a mean dig at the waiter, get the picture???? If we all even made an effort to do this, just imagine how it might spread. If Covid 19 has spread like it has, just think how the “Do The Right Thing” movement could catch fire. I’m Just Saying!

Love, Judith

“Yesterday” is one of my favorite Beatles songs. That was the day that all of the troubles seemed so far away-remember? Well, troubles are never far away in these days, and we all know that. What is important about that fact is the way we deal with what is happening in our lives. I know that there are some things that happen to us that we cannot control. I get that. The trick is to either simply deal with that as a fact, or to re-evaluate our entire setting and look for an option or pathway that perhaps we have missed.

Please, if you are hurting, stop and take a few deep breaths and see if there is not a new approach or a person that is available to reach out to, or perhaps a call to a number that is some kind of a “help” hotline. These hotlines are manned by capable people and they exist to be a life line. The most important thing is to never give up. Yes, I said NEVER GIVE UP!

This is not about glasses that are half full or half empty-well OK, sort of I guess. Really though this is about the kind of glasses that help you to see and about life lessons.

This morning as I was putting on my glasses I remembered an old friend who had worn “coke bottle” glasses for as long as I had known her. One day I complained that I had worn glasses since I was 12 years old. It was one of those “Poor Me” kind of whiney comments.

She looked at me and said, ” Judith I have worn glasses for as long as I can remember and I think it is such blessing. Without my glasses, I could not see.” Obviously, that was the end of my complaints about wearing glasses, and the end too of my complaining about a host of other things. Sometimes it takes just a word or just one person to change your perspective.

Are YOU listening for that one word?

Wake up, get up, and breathe. Mindfully take five deep breaths and with each one, call to mind a blessing for which you are grateful. Think of something that pleases you, a person you like, something comfortable you ae going to where today, a healthy breakfast, that first cup of coffee or tea, the fact that you can see and feel the world around you, a book you are enjoying, something on TV you have been looking forward too, a friend coming over for a masked chat, a walk, your dog or other pet who needs and loves you, calling your child, grandchild, or old friend, checking out your email or Facebook for something interesting…….I could go on and on. Take your five deep breaths and let me know your thoughts!

If you think you are only a drop in the bucket of life, you ae missing the point, the bigger picture, and a bunch of self-esteem!